Masterchef’s John Torode says women’s cooking is ‘loving and maternal’

The TV chef says food made by women ‘tastes better’

Kate Ng
Friday 14 October 2022 09:49 BST
Comments
Joe Swash serves 'raw duck' on Celebrity Masterchef

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Masterchef host John Torode has said that women are “loving and maternal” about the food they produce, making their food “taste better”.

The Australian-British TV chef, who is married to fellow chef Lisa Faulkner, told the Table Manners podcast that women cook “very, very differently from men”.

“Their food usually tastes a lot better,” he told podcast hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware. “There’s something very loving and maternal about it.”

Admitting that his comments could be “controversial”, Torode continued: “It’s true, and everybody will always return to their home because that’s where the best food was.”

Singer-songwriter Jessie said her own cooking methods were “really haphazard” and she believed that men are “a bit more methodical” when they cook.

Lennie agreed and said men are “more confident”, adding: “I think there’s a cockiness about men when they cook that it’s going to be good.”

Asked if he thought Faulkner is a better cook than him, Torode said: “I think Lisa’s food is completely different from what I cook, and I’ve learned a huge amount from that.

“I grew up without a mother so I’ve always cooked and my father’s always cooked and it’s always the same thing, it’s feeding a family – that’s what I do, I feed a family.”

Torode said his mother died when he was just four years old, leaving behind his father and himself, as well as his two brothers.

It comes after celebrity chef Jamie Oliver faced backlash for saying he cooks best when he “thinks like a woman”.

Speaking to The Times this week, The Naked Chef star said he leans into more “feminine traits” when cooking.

“As a young boy, getting a craft and this energy about Michelin stars and measurement and how you control nature as opposed to how you react to nature, which I think are more feminine traits like nourishment and more maternal feelings ... If I’m ever good, I have to try and think like a woman,” he said.

“If you want to see what bad looks like you go to a kitchen full of just men. It is not a good place to work so you need, we need, each other in the balance.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in